Playing Against Fates
by Evx
Summary: Star crossed lovers can never be together, as the stars have already determined it's not to be. The case is no different for Romeo and Juliet- *TheyAlwaysUseADagger whispers in ear* Oh, that's the wrong story? Then what story are we doing? *another whisper* Oh, okay. Teague's and Mina's love for each other is forbidden. What will they face when they try to go against the fates? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all. It's me. But not only me. This is a collab AU story between TheyAlwaysUseADagger and I. Yay!**

 **So here's how it works. Dagger and I will alternate writing chapters.**

 **This will be fun.**

 **Mina's Pov**

"Come on, Charlie."

I pull Charlie by the hand as we run away as fast as we can. If I was allowed to curse, I would be cursing up a storm right now.

Charlie squeezes my hand, signaling to me that he's tired. But we can't stop.

"Please let me do this right." I say as I start to use my magic to get us out of here.

With a lot of concentration, I am able to bring us home.

"Home…Sweet…Home." I pant.

All that running and then doing that trick really made me tired. Charlie and I walk into our house, which is hidden in the middle of the largest forest on the Fae plane.

"Oh good, you guys are home. I was worried." My mother says running up to us and hugging us.

"Just a normal, terrible day in town." I reply.

My mom gives me a sad look. She knows I'm tired of living my life like this. Always running and hiding.

Charlie taps me and I look to him. He signs that he's just happy we got away safely and uninjured. I give my mute brother a small, forced smile, not being able to tell him about the injuries I have acquired this time making sure he didn't get hurt.

"Hey Mom, I'm going to walk around in the forest for a bit. Don't worry, I know where to go and where not to go." I say.

She nods, and I leave the house. I head to a part of the forest that no one knows of.

It's a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. A small cave that's big enough for just two people is also there. I keep some stuff hidden in the cave and in a hollow log there. It's my favorite place to be really.

Especially on a miserable day like today.

Sometimes…Wait, no, all the time I hate being a Grimm. I can't stand this miserable, cursed name.

As I reach my spot, I see a person there surprisingly. And he's going through my stuff.

"Excuse me, but I would like it if you would put my stuff down." I say angrily.

He turns to me and I scowl. How did he find this place? He doesn't put the item in his hands down though. In fact, he continues messing with it.

"Maybe you didn't understand me the first time. Leave my stuff alone." I say with a rude tone slipping in.

"This is your stuff? You have terrible taste in things. I do wonder why you put your belongings here." He says, ignoring my earlier comment.

"If it's so terrible why are you touching it then?" I snap.

"Why are your belongings here?" He asks once again ignoring me.

"That's none of your business. Now I'm tired of telling you to put my stuff down. I'm sure you can understand the words that are coming out of my mouth." I respond with hostility.

His icy blue eyes take a dangerous glint to them.

"And who are you to be talking to me like that? Do you know who I am?" He says in surprise and anger.

"You're the Fae Prince, Teague, and I'm Wilhelmina, Mina, Grimm, cursed because of you. So please excuse me your highness if I'm not bowing down to you. I'm not exactly a fan of the royal family." I sneer.

"He raises an eyebrow at my comment. The anger fades away from his face and I can tell my statement intrigued him.

"Grimm you say? Do tell me, Grimm, why so hostile towards me? That's not really a smart move." The prince says.

"I'm sure I just said I'm cursed because of you. Your family cursed my family ages ago for no good reason. Now I have to deal with this stupid curse. Let's not forget your family banished my father to the human plane when I was nine and he is most likely dead. Oh, and your parents cursed my brother to be mute for all his life just because my mother refused to serve in the castle due to not wanting to leave her newborn child and young daughter to raise themselves. Oh yes I'm just crazy over you." I answer.

You know what that annoying prince does? LAUGH!

"Are you laughing at me?" I ask with my anger rising.

"I just find your resentment for me funny. I personally did nothing to you, Grimm. The most I did to you was touch your horribly tacky items. Everything you named is due to my parents." He says with a smirk.

Oh I want to break that perfect face of his.

"I still hate you." I mumble.

"You know usually I would punish anyone who dared talk to me the way you are talking to me now, but you interest me. Tell me, what has happened today that made you so miserable?" He says stepping closer to me and looking down to meet my eyes.

I step back, not wanting to be near him. How did he know something happened today?

"You walked with a limp, though you tried to hide it. You're standing abnormally straight meaning your back must have a form of injury to it, and your entire body language screams misery." The prince lists off.

That dang prince read my mind. But it surprises me that he noticed all that.

If you must know, my brother and I went to town to get something. As usual, we were chased away by an angry mob of Faes because everyone hates the Grimm family. While protecting my brother as we ran away, I had a shot of magic hit my leg and three painful scratches to my back, which hurts if I slouch or bend." I say answering his question.

"As usual?" He questions.

"Yeah, as usual. You of all people should know Grimms are hated." I reply while rolling my eyes.

"Come here." He commands.

Not being in the mood to argue anymore, I step forward to him. He waves his hand and soothing, cool magic flows on my back and leg. The burning sensation I felt fades away and leaves me with a cooling feeling.

When he's done, I feel no more pain.

"You healed my injuries?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes I did. I told you Grimm, you interest me. Now I must go. I command that tomorrow you meet me here around the same time you came today." He says then disappears

Did he-

"You arrogant prince." I mumble to myself.

 **Four months later**

I eagerly run to my favorite spot in the forest.

When I get there, I see he's already there. I run into his arms excitedly.

"Whoa, calm down Mina, you saw me just yesterday." Teague says holding me.

I pull away and say, "So you're saying you're not happy to see me?"

"What, no. You're my best friend. Of course I'm happy to see you." He replies.

We sit down in the cave and I rest my head on his shoulder. He chuckles.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"It's funny that just four months ago you hated my very existence. Now, you're running into my arms and laying on my shoulder. What a change." He chuckles.

"Well, I was raised all my life to hate royals. And you forced me here everyday for a month so I had to warm up to you. Then you finally started asking me to come back and our conversations weren't annoying. You were actually nice to me. So yeah, you grew on me." I reply.

"I'm glad I did. Now Mina, I have something very important to ask you." Teague says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You see, we've been sneaking off to meet each other for a while now and I really like being around you, so will you give me the honor of being your boyfriend?" He says with a smirk, though I see his nervousness.

"I would love to say yes but what about our families? If anyone on this plane finds out, I'll be in serious trouble." I say with worry.

Teague caresses my face and comforts, "I would never let anyone lay a finger on you. I promise to protect you forever. I love you, Mina."

I wipe away the tears pooling in my eyes.

""Yes Teague. I would love to be your girlfriend." I say.

He smiles and leans in. His soft lips touch mine and sparks fly through my body. I kiss back enjoying it. I wrap my arms around his neck.

We pull away and I say with a smirk, "You're not supposed to kiss a girl on the first date. Especially if you didn't have one yet."

"I'm a prince. I can do whatever I want. Besides you kissed me back and your arms are still around my neck which means you enjoyed it too." He responds.

I laugh and peck his lips.

"Even if everyone else would hate it, I want to stay with you. I guess you really did grow on me." I joke.

"I guess I did." Teague says with a laugh.

I don't think I've ever seen Teague this cheerful. Of course we are more lighthearted around each other, but we still talk about our problems and still never go past a few smiles.

"Well I have a wonderful girl now who means a lot to me. So yeah I'm cheerful." Teague says reading my mind, again.

""You know, I'm going get back at you for every time you read my mind without good cause." I tell him.

"We'll just have to see about that, Mina dear." He replies.

"Hey, you have to wait like a week after you start dating for nicknames!" I tease.

"Again, prince." Teague says with a smirk.

He grabs me and pulls me closer.

"And you're my princess. Which - so you know - is your nickname now, princess." Teague continues.

I smile and shake my head. Looks like I'm stuck with this prince.

But I sure don't mind.

 **Wasn't that a cute first chapter? This sure is going to be fun. Next chapter will be written by Dagger. So make sure you guys review. It would be nice if Dagger (and I) could see some reviews.**

 **Now some of you guys may be thinking, "Shouldn't Evx and Dagger be working on their other stories?" Well, yes, and we are. You know us.**

 **Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Hey guys! It's your friendly neighborhood Spider Ma...Oh, wait, nope. That's not my fanfare. Oh well. :p Actually, it's - wait for it - Dagger! :D As Evx stated last chapter, we'll be taking turns writing chapters, which we hope you guys will like! We - well, at least, I, although I'm pretty positive that Evx is too c; - are super excited (as I've said multiple times in my own stories and pretty much whenever I've had a chance, oops). Anyways, I'm going to hand it over to Evx real quick so she can answer the reviews on their chapter, and then we'll go on ahead with the story! Ahhh, planning this has been so much fun so far (and we've still been discussing a few remaining matters), and I can't wait to see what you guys think of it!**

 **Evx: So it's me Evx. I'm making a brief appearance to answer reviews, as Dagger mentioned.**

 **To Guest: Aww we're your favorite, that touches our hearts. We hope you enjoy the story all the way through.**

 **To LoveBooks4EverFantasy: Well then you'll love this story. Dagger and I are major Meague fans. We practically made a club for it (unofficially). All Meague fans are invited. As for Jared, I used to be a Jarina fan but I'm not so much one now. But hey I agree with romance part.**

 **To Life as a Siren: First chapter and you already love it, sweet! And on behalf of Dagger and I, thank you. We're glad you love our writing. For me anyways, I always had doubts about my writing, so when you guys say things like that it boosts my confidence in it. Thank you. Here's that next chapter.**

 **That's it oh and I'm also very excited for this story just like Dagger. Back to you Dagger. XD**

 **Dagger: Now, how about we see what sort of mischief can be managed by diabolical Dagger and mischievous Evx! After all, you have to know all the sunshine and rainbows we got at the end of last chapter can't last. :D**

Mina's Point of View

I hold Charlie's hand a bit tighter as I begin to walk into the woods with him. The way to my special safe place has always been, well, safe. Even now that Teague and I are secretly meeting and - dare I dwell on it for even a moment and jinx it, let alone let myself think it - dating, it's been safe. Away from prying eyes and ears, along with the hatred of the entire plane. However, I'm still always scared that something bad will happen to Charlie, and so because of that I keep a tight grip on his hand. I won't lose him out here.

I feel a slight tug on my hand, and glance down to see the question in his eyes as he signs with one hand. Why are you bringing me out here?

I take a deep breathe, knowing that I should've expected this question. I can't tell Charlie everything. Not yet, at least. I don't like keeping secrets from my little brother, because it's not natural. The fact is that I never have before my meetings with the prince of the Fae plane - son of the two people who have practically destroyed my family - and I don't want to. So, I want him to meet my boyfriend, but I'm not sure how he'll react yet. He's going to be unpredictable, and I'm afraid that if I warn him, he'll do something rash. Or run away and go back home to tell Mom, which would certainly ruin everything.

The thing is, I didn't exactly tell Teague that I was bringing Charlie to meet him today either. I probably should've to prepare him, but I hadn't even officially decided till a few hours ago. There was no opportunity to, because we haven't managed to think of a safe way to communicate besides our secret meetings. He knows enough about my brother to know he's not going to like it when he first hears. I only pray that he won't freak out on my brother - although he's always been kind, so I doubt that would be any different this time - because I'm scared that Charlie might. It's not like he can actually do any damage to anything but my boyfriend's ego though. That sort of makes me giggle, although I hide it as a cough. I'm not sure if he buys it though.

"Well, Charlie, it's a secret." I say, offering him a small smile, but he doesn't look convinced that I'm in my right mind. No doubt that'll only be solidified when we get there. "I want to introduce you to someone special, because I've always shared my secrets with you. You're an awesome secret keeper." I mess with his hair a little and he ducks away, but he's grinning. "You have to trust me, okay?"

He nods, and I wonder if he's suspicious at all of what's going on. He doesn't look like he is. In fact, he looks like he's trusting me completely, and I can only hope that this meeting doesn't break that forever. And, of course, that it doesn't end up breaking Teague and me up in the end. That would be awful. I also can only hope Teague won't get upset with me for bringing Charlie along. Now that I think about it, there are plenty of things for me to wish, hope, and pray about it. Not to mention fret and worry over. I might as well stop lingering on it.

Not that I actually have much time to stop lingering on it. We arrive at the small clearing that has been my hideout for a while, and I hold Charlie's hand tighter. Whether to protect him or to keep him with me, I'm not sure. There's the small cave, and the hollow log. Nothing looks disturbed, which actually disturbs me. Where's Teague?

"You're late, Mina. I was scared something happened, after what you've said about how the Fae trea-" He stops short, and I see his eyes land on Charlie. "Who is that?"

The statement almost makes me laugh. Charlie and I are quite similar in appearance. If he can't recognize him as my brother, he needs to have his eyes checked. I'm going to assume it's more shock than anything else that causes that reaction.

I glance at Charlie to try and get his reaction, and see that he's glaring daggers at Teague. No doubt he's probably wishing that looks could kill, because if they could, we'd have a massacre on our hands. As if he can feel my gaze, he looks up at me to scowl, causing my almost smile to disappear as I bite my lip. As if he realizes he can't break my grip, he starts signing with his one hand. It takes me a moment, but I realize that he's cursing at Teague.

"Charlie!" I squeal, grabbing his free hand with my other and glaring at him. "Mom would kill you if she knew you were signing stuff like that!"

He shakes my looser grip off, and begins to sign again. Mom would kill you if she knew you were meeting this... I force my gaze away when he starts to call Teague some rather foul names I wasn't expecting.

I look over at Teague, afraid that he'll be angry. He's a Royal. I doubt he wants to receive this treatment from anyone, and while he was kind to me and I doubt he'd ever do anything cruel, I'm afraid of everything when it comes to Charlie.

He's not. Instead, he let's out a chuckle. "No no, it's alright. I probably deserve that. He can't vent his anger out at what's been done to him and his family on the Fae who've done it, my parents, so he's venting it out on the next best thing. Me."

He takes it so much better than I expected him to and I have to stifle a sigh of relief, because I'm still extremely upset with Charlie. "He still shouldn't be cursing! The one time I cursed, I got the punishment of a lifetime. For all the times I haven't told Mom about that habit of yours when you're angry, Charlie..."

And you shouldn't be here with him!

Charlie once again attempts to break away from me and rip his hand away.

"Charlie, please." I plead, crouching down in front of him. "I'm in love with him." He stares at me, betrayed yet concerned for my health. "I know what his family has done to ours, but Teague had nothing to do with it. I've been meeting him for a while now, and I can't bear to think what Mom would do if you told. I've kept your secrets. Can you keep mine, like you used to? Can you forget for a moment that he's a Royal and a prince, and get to know him? If you don't like him, you'll never have to see him again. You'll just have to keep my secret."

Charlie looks from me to Teague, seeming torn between what he wants to do to Teague and his family and what he wants to do for me. I'm terrified that I overestimated our bond. If I did, I'm done for. Yet, slowly, he nods his head, and I know it means he'll keep the secret and give Teague a chance.

"So, how about we start introductions again?" Teague asks, moving closer to Charlie - who shies away from him a bit - and crouching so that they're eye level. "I'm Teague, and you must be Charlie. I've heard a lot of good things about you."

Looking amused by this, Charlie glances at me and raises an eyebrow, and I respond to his silent question with, "No, I don't tell him about the pranks you pull. But putting a snake in my bed wasn't funny."

Teague begins to laugh, and when I try to glare at him, laughs harder. I glance at Charlie, who seems to approve of that. He probably likes that Teague liked his prank.

"Oh yes, hahaha, let's laugh at Mina's misery." I say sarcastically, but that just makes both boys laugh - Charlie silently - harder. "Wow, thanks."

Teague glances at Charlie, offering him a high five, and after hesitation, Charlie shakes his head. "Not yet? Alright. I'm patient. So, if Mina will help me know what you're signing, could you tell me about yourself?"

Charlie agrees, and we spend maybe an hour all talking on the ground outside the cave. Finally, I speak up, and say, "We should get going. I'm sure people are beginning to wonder where we are." More in Teague's case than ours. Only mom mom will wonder where Charlie and me are.

Charlie nods, standing up, and makes eye contact with me. I know he's telling me that he'll keep my secret. Oh gosh, I love the little dude.

"See you tomorrow, Mina?" Teague says, sounding hopeful.

I run over and hug him. "Of course. Next time I'll make it on time. Wouldn't want to worry you." I smile up at him and wink.

Teague smiles back. "Thanks." He leans down and kisses the top of my head. "For luck."

"For luck." I tilt my head up and kiss him on the lips.

We both stop hugging each other, and I pull away. I turn to look at Charlie, who is silently gagging. Rolling my eyes, I grab his hands, and he begins to mime the scene again.

"Oh, be quiet." I giggle as he mimics Teague. "We'll be home soon."

What did you guys think of that chapter? Was it good? Bad? Did you guys like seeing Charlie make an appearance? How did you feel about the whole thing? I wanted this one to still be a happier chapter, as we're not delving into the thick of things quite yet. But soon! Very soon. :D Sorry this chapter was a little less Meague-filled. I hope the end helped a bit with that!

 **Anyways, please review! The next chapter will be written by Evx, and I'm as excited to read it (even though I know what is going to happen in the story) as you guys!**

 **~ Dagger**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's me, Evx, again. Sorry it took a while to get this chapter up and running but hey here I am. I had to prepare for the start of school and I went on vacation, so I had no computer.**

 **And let's not forget a big reason why this took so long….**

 **I was lazy and couldn't think of what to write. I really was stuck you guys. Oops. Sorry. :-(**

 **Now there are some reviews for Dagger's lovely chapter so I'll turn it over so those reviews can be responded to.**

 **Life as a Siren : Thank you! I'm glad you liked seeing Charlie. Evx and I are still deciding whether or not he'll appear more, but we'll keep in mind that people would like that! I'm glad you want Charlie and Teague to bond more. Who knows? Maybe they will. And I'm glad you are super excited! I was super excited to see what Evx had in store too. cx**

 **MusicalDivergentTribute : I'm glad it was adorable! We figured we'd give you guys some cuteness before the trouble started brewing. xD I'm also glad you loved it!**

 **Princessjoslin : Yay! I'm glad that it was cute - that was the aim cx - and that you love it. c: And wow, thank you! That' s a huge compliment to both of us. Thanks! ^-^ I'm glad my writing is that good.**

 **Great now that that is done we can get on with the story.**

 ***Dagger and I ride off into the story on a majestic pegasus***

 **Teague's Pov**

 ****Damn, my mother held me back and now I'm late. Couldn't she just let my fool of a brother handle things? That annoying woman. I think she likes seeing me annoyed.

I need to calm down. I don't want Mina to see me angry. It seems she doesn't know that side of me, and I don't want her to know it.

Though it is surprising that a Grimm of all people doesn't know how the royals really are. Surely she must have some knowledge that I am not as nice as I appear to her.

I rush over to our normal meeting spot to see Mina waiting by herself. I was hoping that she was at least waiting with Charlie but no such luck. She's been here by herself.

"Teague!" Mina says cheerfully.

She runs to me and hugs me tightly.

"I was worried, I thought something happened to you." She says.

"Sorry Mina, my mother held me back to do a pointless task that she could have easily done herself or had my brother do it for her." I explain, rolling my eyes at the thought of my mother.

"Of course the queen was involved. I wonder what meaningless task she made you do, curse another child?" Mina says with annoyance and dislike clear in her voice.

"Now Mina, I know you dislike my family, but I am still part of it and she still is my mother." I respond.

"Dislike? No, I hate your family. Don't forget that. Be happy I love you." She states, joking more towards the end.

"Oh yes, I am ever grateful that I have caught your affection." I say mockingly.

She laughs and I smile. I love her laugh. Something tells me she doesn't laugh often, so it feels like a real treat when I hear her laugh.

Gosh, I'm a total softy when she's around.

"So, what do you want to do today? I have no ideas." Mina asks.

"How about we play a friendly game?" I say with a devious smirk.

"I don't like that smirk. What do you have in mind?" She replies unsure.

"Oh, a simple game really. We both climb a tree, and whoever gets the highest wins." I explain.

"That sounds too easy to be one of your games. What's the catch?" Mina asks.

"If I win, tomorrow you have to do whatever I say. If you win, I'll wear those terrible clothes you want me to wear, and I'll let you use your lure on me. Is it a deal?" I respond.

Knowing Mina, she'll accept. She climbed trees all her life, so this should be easy. Not only that, the possibility that she'll be able to dress me up and use her lure is something she won't turn down. She wouldn't pass on a chance of controlling my actions.

But of course she won't be winning. I may be a prince, but I do know how to climb a tree. That and I never said I couldn't use my magic.

"Alright then, it's a deal." Mina says.

"Good. Pick a tree and let's go." I state.

 **After the game**

"Oh no fair, you cheated." Mina whines.

"It was never stated that I couldn't use Fae magic. Face it darling, you lost. Now tomorrow you do whatever I say. You did agree to that deal." I respond with a half smirk.

"Ugh this is why you never make a deal with a royal. They cheat. Fine Teague, you win." Mina huffs, crossing her arms.

"Oh, but you still love me." I say, kissing her cheek.

"I have to think about that now." She mumbles.

"How you hurt me so. Is that anyway to treat your beloved boyfriend?" I reply with fake hurt.

Suddenly my body tenses slightly. I know that feeling.

"Teague, do you feel magic?" Mina asks while looking around.

"Mina darling, you're just feeling my presence. I slip up sometimes and you'll feel my presence more." I lie.

Honestly, since I came I felt a weak magic presence. I just thought it was Mina's presence. But now I know it's not. Someone is really close and they have strong magic.

I can't tell Mina though or she'll freak. I should leave now and see who's here.

If they're spying on us then that must be dealt with. No one can know about Mina and I. The whole plane will flip. Then they'll separate us. Or try to. I'll kill anyone who tries to break us apart.

I need to find out who's watching. Then I can chose a perfect punishment for them.

"Mina, I need to go. My parents want me back at a certain time. As you know tonight the royals are having a ball. That means being around a bunch of people I don't like and acting princely to people who need to be done away with." I say.

This is true but of course I will be doing something else before preparing for the nightmare I will have to go through.

"Oh yes, I know about that ball. Your dear mother sent an invitation to us just to tell us we are not allowed to come to this event. Lovely woman, isn't she?" Mina says, rolling her eyes.

"What can I say? Be happy you don't live with her." I respond.  
I give her a quick kiss on the lips and do a fake bow. She laughs and waves goodbye.

Now, time to find out who dared to spy on me.

 **Not one of my best in my opinion. But I really couldn't think of how to write this chapter.**

 **But next chapter is Dagger's. *Does happy dance because I love Dagger's chapters* So give some reviews and let's keep this ball rolling. I just know this is going to be awesome.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 ***rides back in on the majestic pegasus with Evx* Hey guys! We're back again with another chapter for you guys. ^-^ I'm super excited to see if you guys can guess what's coming or not, as we're going to find out who the spy was from last chapter that Teague was sensing. Any guesses? Let us know if you were right or not in a review! Anyways, I'm going to let Evx respond to her reviews now. Cx**

 **To Guest: I like you. That's all I can say. Your review is so interesting.**

 **To Life as a Siren: Here's a next chapter and I'm so glad you like both of our writing.**

 **To Meague 3: Love the name btw. You'll be seeing plenty of me in this story along with Dagger. *winks***

 **Done Dagger. Over to you.**

 **Alright, but enough from us. Let's get to the reason you're reading this (even though we all know you guys are actually reading because Evx is fabulous person), shall we?**

 **Teague's Point of View**

If there's one thing I hate more than balls, it's being at a ball when I should be doing something else far more important. At this time, that important thing happens to be figuring out who was spying on Mina and me before they have the chance to tell my parents. Or, more specifically, before they have the chance to tell my mother. I have no doubt that she will be the main force of anger if the detail that I am secretly meeting - not to mention dating - a Grimm were to reach her ears.

Yet I've had no luck whatsoever. I can't think of who would even be able to find the place, as no one goes traipsing around in those woods without a purpose, unless of course they're Mina Grimm. So that means one of us had to have been tracked. But which one? A good reason could be given for why either one of us was getting trailed, so that's of no help. Yet I have a feeling that whoever it was is here, at the ball.

That feeling does have one flaw to it. If they're here, why haven't they told my mother yet? This would be one of the best opportunities, especially if they wanted witnesses, so that the claims could not be denied. I could try to pass it off as them being afraid to invoke my wrath - because I don't intend to let anything get in the way of my relationship with Mina - but I doubt that's the deterrent. So why have I seen no sign that anyone has been a snitch? What could possibly deter them?

I don't get a chance to think on the subject any longer though. So far, I've been doing pretty well at avoiding people at this dance, however now it seems like my luck has run out. Someone has finally noticed me for who I am, even with my glamour to look quite unappealing. Then I glance at my hands, and realize to my astonishment that the glamour has dropped. This has to have been the work of Mother. Groaning, I look up to see who's approaching.

It's a petite girl, who's shorter than Mina, a feat I thought was impossible. Then again, I guess Mina isn't that short, but I won't tell her I said that. Her hair is a decent-looking golden blonde and currently up in some intricate hairdo that I don't recognize, and I have to stifle a snort as I think about what Mina - or even better, what Charlie - might call it. Her hazel eyes meet mine and I see anger and pride inside them, maybe even worse than my own. Not that I'm prideful, of course, but I can admit that I have some anger issues. Not that I like admitting someone might possibly beat me at something.

In her deep amber dress, she is exceedingly eye catching, yet I can't help comparing her to Mina and feeling her fall short as she says, "Prince Teague, I've been hoping to get a dance from you all evening, yet I couldn't find you anywhere. Where have you been hiding? Surely you didn't intend to hide from me the entire time."

I stare at her, my eyes narrowing in confusion. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" I don't make any move to stop leaning on the wall and go dance with her. If there's one thing the Fae should know about me by now, it's that I don't dance. Not unless I'm with Mina that is.

Gosh, I need to stop thinking about her. There are too many Fae around who could possibly pick up on a loose thought like that. I really ought to be more careful.

The girl giggles, although it sounds rather forced. "Of course, your highness. I'm Princess Annalora. Heir to the throne of the gnome kingdom. Surely you remember playing with me whenever we were younger, when my parents would come to talk politics with yours?"

And that last sentence let's me know that she is most definitely lying about our history. I never played with any royal children. The only games I learned were from servants, and we always had to play in secret for fear of my parents finding out. They wouldn't have been pleased, seeing as I wasn't their perfect son Jared who in their eyes can do no wrong. If it were him, it would be fine. But me, playing with other children? Preposterous.

But the story does ring a bell in my head. Looking over her again, I realize who she is. Annalora Goldmine, the child I always dreaded seeing and hid from. She was merciless, violent, and cruel. If I could hide from her, I would, because she would bully me. It was only after a few visits that I actually started retaliating. After I slapped her one time and nearly drowned her the next, she stopped tagging along. Yet I suppose she didn't want to mention those amazing details. Unless of course she saw that as us playing a game? If that's the case, she's crazier than I originally thought.

"That's right. I remember you. Still as short as I ever, I see." I make the remark just to get a reaction, and I do. Her face starts to go red, although she quickly composes herself. "However, I'm afraid I can not dance with you. You see, I've managed to injure my foot, and-"

"Teague, son!" The regal voice of my father comes to the left, and both the gnome princess and I turn to see my father - as radiant as the sun on the fabled human plane itself - approaching.n. Surprisingly enough, my mother is not right by his side. Probably entertaining the guests. "I'm so sorry, Princess Annalora. If you could excuse us for one moment?"

Annalora nods, seeming a bit irritated, although she wisely holds her tongue. While my father is the kinder of my parents, it's not wise to disagree with him. "But of course. I'll be waiting for that dance, Prince Teague." She winks, and I believe blows a kiss in my direction before fading into the mass of dancers.

For a moment I feel a sudden burst of mindless adoration, and I can't think of anything else but Annalora. She's gorgeous. How could I ever think otherwise? Yet it quickly subsides, and I realize she just tried to enchant me. I'm not sure if it's my being a Royal or some other thing, but it didn't work. Thank goodness for that.

"I see you and Annalora are hitting it off." My father says after an awkward moment of silence between us.

I scoff. "Ha, you think that's hitting it off? You're lucky I didn't murder her. Don't you remember what she did when she used to visit?"

"I remember what you did." He shoots back, sounding as if he's trying to hold back some frustration. "You tried to murder her. After that, keeping the peace with the gnomes became quite a bit harder."

"That's not my fault." I protest angrily, but my father puts up his hand to stop me before I can continue.

"I'm not here to talk about things that happened previously between you and Annalora. To be frank, I don't honestly care. It's your mother who does." Of course it is. Why am I not surprised? "She sent me, however, to discuss something with you, because for some reason she thinks you'll react better if I say it than she does. Personally, I think she's scared, but-"

I roll my eyes. "Get to the point, Father. I have other things I need to attend to, like finding a certain someone."

He raises an eyebrow, which he always joking says is how he won the honor of marrying my mother. "A certain someone? A girl, perhaps?"

"Oh no." I respond, perhaps a bit too quickly. Oh well. It's better for him to believe I'm looking for a specific girl here over a rat who might try and ruin everything for me. Not that they'd succeed. "They're not important enough for your concern."

"Alright." He actually sounds disappointed, as if he hoped I had fallen in love. Ha, I doubt my father actually believes I could ever fall in love. "At any rate, your mother would like you to spend some more time with Princess Annalora." He actually sounds pained to say it. "The meetings where we sign the treaties and do negotiations have been getting tenser a and tenser each year. If there's much more of this, it could explode into war, all due to your mistake." I glare at him as he pauses to take a deep breath. Mistake? Please. If I knew it could result in war, I would have begun fanning the flames a long time ago. "A political marriage could solve that."

He actually manages to catch me off guard with that comment. "You can't be serious." If only looks could kill.

"It's not ideal, but-" For once he holds my gaze, seeing the full force of my anger and hatred in my eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me. Not ideal?" I don't even let him finish, now yelling at him as my hands ball up into fists. It's only then that I realize he's put a bubble of silence around us, so no one can hear our discussion-argument. Smart move on his part. Can't have the ball being ruined by the Dark Prince, now can he? "Not ideal my eye. Why don't you have your perfect son Jared marry her? I'd sooner murder her and her whole kingdom over kissing that wart, let alone marry her!"

He sighs. "That's what I told your mother. Look, Teague, I won't make you marry her."

"You're right you won't." That is not an idle threat, either.

With another sigh, he says, "I'm just asking that you spend some time it's her. Make it look like you'll do what your mother wants, at least till the ball is over. We can talk to her about the plot afterwards, convince her otherwise. Who knows? Maybe what happens will surprise you."

Which is code for 'you are on your own with this one, buddy.' Wonderful.

The bubble drops, and he Gives me a meaningful look right before he walks away. As if she's been waiting for the opportunity like a hawk, Annalora swoops back in. I don't even see which way she approaches from before she takes my hand, smiling an unsettling smile up at me. Right. She probably thinks I'm affected by that enchanted kiss she tried to give me earlier. Good thing its effect only lasted for a few seconds. The thought of it lasting any longer is downright painful.

I don't realize what she's doing till it's too late. She leads us out into the dancers and even takes the lead in directing us. Now it'll be much harder to get away. I've got to hand it to her, it was a clever move. I actually do make a move to slip away, but one look from my mother as she passes me by while dancing with some old, foreign noble - probably in order to keep the peace - tells me that that is not allowed.

After we dance for a while and I can tell that some of the energy of the ball is dying down, Annalora leads me off to the side. Most people aren't paying us any attention, and I can tell from her face that she intends to kiss me. She won't manage that of course.

However, before I can stop her myself, someone else does. "Ah, Annalora. I haven't seen you in ages."

I look in horror as my brother struts over, a pleasant - and perhaps smug - grin on his face. He looks way too much like me for my own liking. Black hair and an affinity for gray - probably because that's his eye color - are probably the only two notable differences, although we both argue that there are quite a few less noticeable differences as well. The worst part is that his getup is practically the same as mine, just gray instead of dark blue. And now he's swooping in and 'saving' me from the horror of having to kiss Annalora. I'll never hear the end of it.

"Your highness." The gnome scowls at Jared, which I'm not surprised about. He's quite infuriating. "What are you doing?"

"I need to speak to my brother in private." He grins a bit wider. This day is just full of surprises, isn't it? "You don't mind, do you?"

One thing my brother and I have both mastered is the tone of voice that let's people know they don't really have a choice. Of course, Jared uses it much more often than I do, seeing as he's the more polite of us two. After all, the 'perfect child' can't have his precious reputation ruined.

Still glaring daggers at my brother, she curtsies, muttering a venomous, "Of course, your majesty," to him before blowing me another kiss and smiling as she walks away.

This time I'm prepared, although I don't need to be. It's not enchanted.

Jared chuckles, causing me to scowl. "My apologies for interrupting, brother. I'm sure she'll be waiting for you once I'm finished speaking to you though."

"I'm not sure who's more annoying: you or her." I spit back, causing his smirk to widen.

"Oh, is the political marriage idea not going so well?" Jared says with fake sympathy.

"So Father told you?" I laugh cruelly. "Then surely you must also realize I don't intend to go through with it."

"Why not?" I can tell he's mocking me by asking. "You could settle down with the gnome. Live underground. Have some warty kids. Let loose your rage upon her kingdom."

"Ha, even if I were to marry her for some reason that I can't even fathom her, I would never give up the throne to you, Jared. I'm the heir, no matter how much Mother, Father, and you try to change it." Now I'm the smug one, and Jared's smirk flickers for a moment into a scowl that's not quite as intense as my own.

It quickly flickers back to his smirk. "Well, I suppose I can understand why you'd pass her down."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh really now?"

"Well duh." If only my parents and the rest of the kingdom saw the side of my brother that I see. They're even more foolish than him, although I suppose he does have a secret reserve for hatred specifically for me. "I know a secret, you see."

"What?" I'd been starting to get bored and begun to recline against the wall, but now I snap to attention, completely focused on him.

"You heard me." He's so pleased that he has this chance to toy with me. "Do I really have to repeat myself? Geez, brother, you really are getting old."

Before I can threaten him, he slips off. I'm taken by surprise, so it takes me a moment before I can recover and tear off after him. Annalora's waiting though, and latches onto my arm the moment she sees Jared and I are no longer speaking. Even with the ball dying down, there are still quite a few people. Enough to hide Jared. I shake the gnome's grip off, spinning through all the couples as I search for my brother? Where is the jerk?

He has to be toying with me. I know how many royal duties he has; he has more than me, no doubt because everyone is still hoping to find some way to do off with me - most also planning not to kill me in the process - so he can be the heir. I also know he finished them all today, so there's no possible way he could've followed me. He must've just saw a bit of what was going on my head, saw that I had a secret. I doubt he actually knows, but I have to be sure.

Finally, I see him, and I manage to latch onto his arm before he can dodge away. With a death grip on his arm, I drag him off to a hallway where we won't be disturbed. No doubt he's making it look like he's done nothing wrong, and making me look like the villain. It's what he always does, and I suppose at this point people are probably used to seeing this sort of thing occur between us. At this point, I don't care, so long as Mina never hears about it or realizes it. Not that she will, being a Grimm.

The moment I know we're out of sight, I slam my brother against the wall. Sadly, he doesn't give me the pleasure of hearing his pained groan. I consider trying to hurt him further till he does, but I manage to resist it. After all, I need him conscious if I want to ask what he was saying earlier.

"Geez brother, you don't have to be quite so violent." I don't loosen my grip, but he still smirks. "Why did you track me down and drag me back here? To prove you're not losing your sight along with your hearing?"

Once again, I resist the urge to hurt him. Would it really be so sad if there was a Jared size hole in this wall though? "What secret do you supposedly have?"

"Oh, I have a ton of secrets, brother. Which one are you speaking of?" He raises an eyebrow, and I know he knows which one I'm talking about. He's just being difficult.

"You know which one." I hiss. "The one you were hinting at earlier. What is it?"

"Oh, one that will ruin you. One that'll have you having to listen to me, or else I will yell everyone." He's still beating around the bushes.

I glare at him, although my heart speeds up in my chest. Please don't let him be the spy from before. Oh gosh, please don't let him have been the one who saw Mina and me together. "And that secret would be?"

"Just that you're dating an incredibly attractive Grimm in secret. I'll admit, she does seem like she's worth it." I'm not sure if I'm more horrified that he's the spy or shocked that my rule-abiding brother is also attracted to a Grimm. Probably horrified, especially because he's attracted to the same Grimm that I am. He's totally going to use this against me, and if I want to keep her and our relationship safe, I might have no choice except for killing Jared, and that's a sure fire way to lose my right to be heir to the throne. "I might have to pay her a visit some time."

"You obviously know nothing about her. She hates our family." I shoot back, crossing my arms.

He smirks. "But not you. I'm sure I could charm her. Either way, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is the fact that you'd better or listen, or I'm going to tell Mother and Father about your secret lover."

I hate him, but perhaps he's not as much of as a fool as I thought. That'll be my downfall.

 **Wow, that was interesting to write. What do you guys think of Jared's and Teague's relationship? Did I do it justice? What do you think is going to happen? Do you think Teague will just lay down and accept what Jared is saying, and accept that he's going to be blackmailed? Were you expecting Jared to be the one to have caught them, or someone else? What did you think of the arrival of Annalora? Things don't look too good for Mina's and Teague's relationship right now. :/**

 **Anyways, let us know what you thought of the story so far, any thoughts on what might happen next, and if you guys like Evx and me writing together! If Evx would be up for it and if you guys like it, I'd love to write another story with her once this one if finished. She's amazing, isn't she? C;**

 **(Evx: Excuse my interruption but don't mind me. I'm just crying in the corner because Dagger is a sweetheart and I'd be delighted to write another story alongside Dagger. *cries tears of joy* continue on Dagger.)**

 **So anyone else already dislike Jared and or Annalora? Evx told me to ask that since she hates them already and she's writing the story along with me.**

 ***sees Evx walk past with the Grimoire, rope and a dagger***

 **I should probably go get her before she murders some fictional characters.**

 ***chases after her and drags her back***

 **Evx: Let me at them. I'll kill them for messing with Teague.**

 **I'll stop rambling now and bring her back. Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be Evx's, and I personally can't wait to read it (even though I know the basic gist of what's going to happen)!**

 **~ Dagger**


	5. Chapter 5

***Runs through door and closes it shut***

 **That was *pant pant* close.**

 **Dagger: Are you okay?**

 **Yeah I was just running away from my responsibilities. I just need some time to write.**

 ***door starts to open. Runs and nails it close***

 **Dagger: That sounds more like a mob than your responsibilities.**

 **It's both but hey I'm back now. I'm totally ready to write this chapter. But first your reviews Dagger.**

 **Life as a Siren : I'm glad you're so excited for this chapter! I was super excited for it too. I love Evx's writing. c: And aw, I'm super sorry you're going through some hard stuff. I know how hard that can be. *hug* However, I am glad that we're able to help you with our stories! We love you too. c:**

 **Guest 1 : Haha, yup! Pretty much! xD I'm glad it was a brilliant chapter! Sorry we didn't update sooner, Evx and I both got very busy. oops. cx And hm, I've never heard those songs before! I'll have to look into them.**

 **Meague 3 : Did you expect us not to mess with the two of them? :p It's what Evx and I do best. And good job guessing the spy! As for how Teague handles the situation, well, we'll see some of that this chapter (and Evx did brilliantly with it). I'm glad you like Evx and I writing together! It's super fun.**

 **Guest 2 : Hehehe, only time will tell if Teague and Annalora get married (just the thought makes me throw up). As for Jared, well, we'll be learning more about that later. At the moment, we don't have a plan for a chapter from Charlie's point of view. Sorry! Although Evx and I can discuss it if you want us to. It honestly depends on whether it fits with the story or not.**

 **Guest 3 : Only time will tell about how Jared is going to feel for Mina. c;**

 **Isn't she great. Oh don't we all love Dagger. Anyone who says no will get put in the Grimoire. (Dagger: Or I mean we can sic one of the many villains both of us have** **on them :p)**

 **Now let's get on with this story before this door breaks.**

 ***pushes couch to block the door and puts Dagger on top***

 **Dagger: Oh brother.**

 **Teague's Pov (next day after the ball)**

How much worse can things get?

First of all my mother is trying to get me to marry that stupid wart infested gnome. I can't stand to look at her let alone marry her.

Second, my annoying brother knows that I'm dating a Grimm and he finds her attractive.

And finally, he's trying to blackmail me with it!

I am the dark prince. No one will tell me what to do.

I storm to the throne room to confront my mother. Servants run away as they see my anger. They know what I am capable of.

I break the doors to the throne room as I enter.

"MOTHER!" I shout.

My mother, father, and Jared are all here. My father seems startled at my entrance. My mother stills holds a royal "I am better than you so bow down" look. Jared seems smug, as usual.

"A Prince shouldn't enter in like that, you know that Teague." Mother says.

"Oh spare me the lesson. You know why I'm here." I say.

"Yes. Your father tells me that you do not agree with my idea to marry Annalora for peace sakes." She responds.

"You're damn right I don't. I refuse to marry her. I much rather die than marry her." I say.

"That can be arranged young man. Now you wouldn't be in this situation if you didn't try to kill her." Mother states.

"Is that a threat mother?" I ask calmly. Like the calm before a storm.

"Of course not." She answers wisely.

"I will not marry her. I don't care if her whole kingdom wants to wage war. I can kill them all with a snap of my fingers. So get your little peace making idea out of your head. And don't you dare try to make me spend anymore time with that thing you call a gnome." I say making sure I don't yell.

"I will not have you talk to me like that. I am your mother and I am queen. If I say you will marry her, you will do as you're told!" She yells, standing up from her throne.

Before she can register it, two balls of pure magic fly close to her head.

"I'm sorry but it seems you forgot who I am. So let me help you remember." I say.

I teleport in front of her and grab her by the throat. I lift her off the ground and apply pressure. Father and Jared stay where they are because both know it is foolish to try and stop me.

"Let's get something clear. You may be my mother and you may be queen, but you do not tell me what to do. Never forget that I am stronger than both you and father combined. I am not like your little perfect son over there. I don't have to wait for you to hand me the throne. I can take it if I want and you couldn't do a thing." I growl.

She claws at my hand, gasping for air.

"Am I clear?" I ask.

She nods and I drop her. She pants as air returns to her.

I kneel down and grab her by the face roughly.

"I'll say this one last time. I will not marry Annalora. If anyone has a problem with that, they can come speak to me. Do not ever bring this ludicrous idea up again." I state in my princely tone.

I let go of her face and step away.

"Jared, brother, I would like to speak with you in private." I say.

"I would love to but I should stay here and help mother." He replies.

"It wasn't a choice." I growl.

He gets the message and follows me. We head to an empty hallway.

"What is it you would like to speak about?" Jared asks.

"I found it very interesting that you found out my little secret brother. Though it does not worry me." I say.

"Oh really, and why is that?" He asks.

"Because I know you will stay quiet. I refuse to stoop down and listen to you." I say with a smirk.

"Bold words brother. I wonder though if you can keep those words after I tell mother and father. They'll make you leave the Grimm or else you'll lose your privilege to the throne." Jared says smug.

I hold back the urge to break his neck.

"Ohh little brother, do you really think I'll let you have an upper hand. I am older, more powerful, and smarter. You may be deceptive but I can and will beat you at this little game. So if you know what's good for you, I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut." I say.

"Power isn't everything, Teague. I will get the throne from you and I will win, despite you being more powerful. Your power will get you nowhere in life except for your grave." Jared states.

I growl and he takes a step back.

"Watch your back brother. I may just lose my cool with you and give you the painful death you deserve. As I said earlier, I can take the throne anytime I want." I say.

I walk away, leaving him to his thoughts.

I will not have anyone challenge me. I am the dark prince.

 **Done. I know it's not as good as Dagger's last chapter but it'll do. And guess what she's writing the next chapter. Aren't we so lucky. *does happy dance* I love Dagger's writing. It's just so awesome!**

 **How did you guys like Teague? Did I meet his dark prince standard? I hope I did.**

 **I-*door breaks and rope laso me***

 **Noooo they got me. Dagger help me.**

 **Dagger: *casually drinks lemonade* I'm still getting over some feels so sorry.**

 **I'll be back sooner or later. Next chapter is Dagger's. Until then.**

 ***claws at ground as I get dragged away***

 **Dagger: She's totally a goner.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 ***drags Evx in* Oh gosh Evx I thought we were going to die!** **Responsibility. What the heck does that even mean?**

 **Evx: *shakes and hugs knees* so many. They just kept coming.**

 **You weren't kidding. It's going to kill us!**

 **BUT UGH EVX WHY. MY BABY NIX. HE DID NOT DESERVE THAT. ;-; My poor Nix. How you've invoked the feels, Evx.**

 **Alright, alright, I'm okay for now...Probably. Just had to release all of those super upset feelings for a moment. *glares at Evx* (Evx: *smiles innocently*) However, I won't let that distract me for now, although I might be plotting my revenge even as you read this. Anyways, here we are guys, back with another update! Sorry that took so long. c; I know you guys must be wanting to know what happened after that amazing last chapter from Evx, so here we are! Anyways, yes, we are back with another chapter for you guys. c: I'm super excited for the next chapter of this! But hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's let Evx answer your reviews on her amazing chapter first!**

 **To 5 is my lucky number: Teague is a gift in himself. But it sure is nice when he us nice to Mina only. Gets you squealing.**

 **To Life as a Siren: I did it. I met the goal. I made you proud. I knew I would make it to this day one day. *tears up***

 **To life** **as a demigod: Isn't Teague just lovely with his dark prince self. I'm glad you liked the chapter.**

 **To Beetle: Your review is just lovely in so many ways. But let's see if you still want Jared and Mina together by the end of this.**

 **To CoffeeKake: Awwwwwww thank you. *royal voice* I am very honored to have meet the standards. *normal voice* here's the next one.**

 **To Guest: *puts hands on Teague's shoulders* "if mommy tries to take you away from Mina, do whatever you need to." *Dagger nudges me hard* Ow I mean I can see where you get that Thor and Loki vibe from. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Over to you my wonderful amazing Co-writer who should forgives me for hurting her baby Nix.**

 ***high fives Evx* Isn't she amazing? Of course, she is breaking my heart with her updates and I don't forgive her yet, but that's okay. Now, instead of me rambling on and on, we're going to jump straight into the story. Sound good? Good, because it's going to happen whether you want me to ramble or not. :p So let's go! We have a chapter to get to.**

 **Mina's Point of View**

I sit on a log at my special spot - which has now developed into Teague's, sometimes Charlie's, and my special spot - while tapping my foot on the ground. As I do that, I stare up at the sky and watch the time pass. He's late, and he's never late. In fact, most of the time I barely manage to beat him here. Any other time, he's already waiting. So where is he?

One of my many negative, nagging thoughts creeps into my head, reminding me that he was late for our last meeting as well. Is something up? Is there another girl in his life? I'd like to think that isn't possible. Teague would never lie to me. However, my mind can't help but wander to one of the worst possibilities. And then, of course, another thought creeps into my head to add onto that one. Teague was acting really strange and antsy last week, saying that he had to hurry very abruptly. Could it really be that he's cheating on me? If that's the case, why not break up with me? Obviously whatever girl he is connecting with has to be more socially acceptable than me, so it would make everyone happier if he did.

Except for me. I would be devastated. I would never forgive him, and I'm sure the resentment for what his family did would come back as well.

However, then I think of something that combats that. I felt another magical presence around at that time, and while Teague claims it was him, I'm not so sure. While I hate thinking Teague would lie to me, I'd rather believe there was someone else around over him cheating on me. However, even as I consider that, a sinking feeling hits my chest. If another Fae was around, does that mean we were caught? I can't help feeling terrified by the thought. Which one of us was being tailed, if that's true? Either one of us could've been, seeing as I'm a Grimm and he's a Royal. Is he not showing up because we were caught? Will I never get to see him again?

No, surely he would tell me if that happened. Surely he would think of some way to communicate with me, to let me know that we'd been caught and that we had to lay low for a while, or at least let me know to be careful. However, even that can be combated with other thoughts. We never did establish a way that we could communicate, so he wouldn't have a way to tell me anything.

Oh gosh, what if we have been caught?

There's a rustle in the bushes, and I leap to my feet, torn between rushing towards it in case it's Teague and getting into a defensive position to protect myself in case it's not. However, I can't imagine who else would get here - except for the spy - since I only stumbled across it by chance the first time. However, then I see the messy black hair as he steps out, and I rush forward and hug him.

The moment I touch him, I know something is wrong. This isn't Teague; even his magic feels similar yet different. I yank back as if I was just burned, stumbling backwards and nearly falling as I try to get away. Standing before me is a boy who is close to my age, dressed in a gray outfit Royals always wear. He's got black hair that looks very similar to Teague's, however now that I'm looking I can see the difference. And his eyes. His eyes are most definitely not Teague's. They're gray, seeming so much more lifeless than Teague's.

Oh gosh, if there wasn't anyone who knew about Teague and I, there definitely is now. Why the heck did I have to go hugging the brother that Teague hates so badly, Jared? I've gone and ruined everything now. I've given us away. I'll never get to see Teague ever again! The mere thought makes me want to shrivel up in a hole and die. Teague is the only one outside of my family who actually treats me as if I matter. I've grown so dependent on him, with him being one of the only good spots in my life. What will I do if they take him away from me? Would he let them?

That's a question that I'm not sure I know the answer to.

"So you're Wilhelmina Grimm, the Grimm girl who prefers to be called Mina and who has captured my brother's heart." He gives a bit of a bow that seems rather mocking, but he's wearing a small smile. The gestures don't seem to line up at all. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm-"

"-Prince Jared. Yes, I know." The conversation reminds me a bit of when Teague and I first met, however I am not letting it go in the same direction that did. "Please forgive me for not bowing down, but I'm not in the mood to respect a guy whose parents cursed my family."

He raises an eyebrow. "Please, call me Jared."

"I'll do as I please, Prince Jared." I use his title just to spite him. I refuse to be agreeable with Teague's 'perfect' brother.

He sighs. "You won't respect me because of what my parents did, yet you'll respect my brother? I do hope you realize we share the same parents. As great as it would be if he wasn't, he is a legitimate heir to the throne."

I cross my arms. "Teague is different."

He chuckles. "Ah, yes, because you guys secretly meet out here." I must make a face, because he grins widely, "Yes, Mina, I know about you guys and your secret, little meetings out here in the woods. I'd been wondering where my brother always disappeared to, and so last time he left I decided to follow him. And, low and behold, there you were here to meet him! I would hazard a guess that you guys have been dating for a while. Am I right?" I give a noncommittal shrug, and he shrugs right back. "It doesn't matter. Anyways, I don't blame him. You do seem like you'd be worth it, once you get past the whole 'I hate you for what your parents did to my family' phase."

"Excuse me?" I raise both of my eyebrows, seeing as I do not have the talent of just raising one.

His smile stays on, making me even angrier. "I was giving you a compliment. I suggest you take it." Then, to add to the whole thing, he winks at me. What is this punk playing at?

"Sorry, I'm not that easy to win over. I'm dating your brother." I scowl at him, and he responds with a pout.

"Oh come on, just humor me here, Mina. Everyone always tells me I'm the better brother. Why don't you give me a chance?" He offers me an innocent looking smile, but I know better.

So, as expected, I shake my head. "Oh, because everyone gives Teague a chance to prove he's not evil right?"

His response is the worst. He laughs at me, just like Teague did way back when we first met. However, this laugh makes me even madder than that one. "There's a reason all the Fae call him the Dark Prince."

Seeing as Teague is my boyfriend, I obviously have to challenge Jared on this. However, even if it he weren't my boyfriend, I probably would challenge him out of spite. I'm just not sure if I would totally mean it if Teague and I weren't on good terms. "Well, you just don't know him as well as I do."

"You're quite funny. Do you know that? You've got everything going for you. Good looks, humor, and opinionated." He ticks the things off on his fingers as he lists them off. "Honestly though, that joke right there? That was the best." He laughs harder than before, and my dislike for him deepens. Is he really mocking me right now? Does he mean any of that? "Honestly, I live with him. You don't. You have to have been dating him for, what, less than a year? A year at most. I, on the other hand, have known him for my entire life. If anything, you don't know him as well as I do."

I shake my head. "You guys just aren't giving him a chance to show that he's not just a Dark Prince."

"Man, he really has you convinced and believing all of this crap, doesn't he?" Jared shakes his head, probably in disbelief. Well, he should believe it. "People don't just get called the Dark Prince for no reason, Mina. Surely you've heard of the stuff that he's done to people?"

"People are liars, Prince Jared. Now, feel free to take this personally, but I believe that you are a liar just like everyone else." I take a step back, finding a tree right behind me to keep me from going further, as he takes a step closer.

"Look, one chance is all I'm asking for. Don't you think that if Teague really loved you, he'd be trying to find some way to uncurse your family?" Ouch. That stings. There really isn't any good response to that statement that I can use to defend Teague, so I quickly try to find a way to flip it on Jared. "This certainly doesn't seem uncursed to me. I mean, really, even the stuff you own - or lack thereof - is evidence to that."

I fold my arms and scowl, praying that he doesn't step closer so that I don't have to try and hurt him. That would make things much worse, although I don't really know how much worse things can get from this point. I just know that they always can get worse. "If you had any genuine feelings for me, you'd uncurse my family yourself, even if I didn't want you." That catches him off guard. Feeling encouraged and also not wanting to give him the chance to flip that on Teague, continue by saying, "You're just trying to prove you're better than your brother to yourself. You don't actually care about me at all. Even if you do have a tiny bit of you that cares for me, you see this as a competition, Prince Jared, which means you would eventually get bored of me. I would just be a trophy after a while, and I don't want that life. So, guess what? If this is a competition, then you've already lost. I know you'd toss me away after a while if you win, or as I stated previously, keep me around just to prove that you won. So, believe me, you aren't winning."

"Teague will toss you away eventually too." Despite his argument having absolutely no foundation to build off of, my brain still can't help thinking about what would happen if he was right, and what that would mean for me. "I wouldn't be surprised if he just sees you as a way to rebel against our parents, which means he'll get bored of you."

Forcing my glare not to break, I say in a voice that hopefully hides the cracks he is managing to make on my heart, "I think you need to leave before Teague shows up, as we're supposed to meeting today."

Apparently, he's actually going to listen to me, although I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. He let's loose a rather dramatic sigh, and turns around as he says, "If you really want me to go, I'll go." However, then he decides to hesitate, turning to look at me again as he adds, "Although I wouldn't waste your time waiting for Teague to come to see you."

He does it on purpose so that I have to ask him what he means. Since I know it's what he wants, I try to hold my tongue, but I can't. My curiosity has gotten the better of me even though I know what he's going to say won't be good, and I take a hesitant step closer to him. Then, giving up on trying to not ask since it doesn't seem like he's going to leave till I do, I ask, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, I didn't want to say anything." His face actually looks pained, and while I want to say that it's faked, I can't tell. Scared but unable to stop listening, I wait to hear whatever dreadful thing he is going to tell me. "You seem like an amazing girl, Mina. You really do. You're quite beautiful, and I can see that you are crazy for Teague. I also can see that you're incredibly faithful as well, which is a great trait for you to have, although I'd been hoping to maybe convince you to dump Teague for me to spare your feelings." I don't like the way this conversation is going. The statements all seem to have lie stamped all over them, but I can't help listening to him in fear.

"Just spit it out." I manage to growl the words and try to seem angry with him, but on the inside I'm still terrified. What the heck does he mean, saying he wants to spare my feelings? What on the plane is he going to tell me that could shatter me in such a fashion?

He takes a deep breath. "There's a marriage being planned between my older brother - your boyfriend, Teague, the Dark Prince, whatever you want to call him - and Prince Annalora Goldmine, Mina."

I swear my heart stops beating in my chest as my jaw drops and my eyes widen. "There's a marriage being planned between them?" And out of all the Fae girls he has his choice of, he's going to be marrying that warty gnome princess? Couldn't he at least pick someone that I don't feel superior to?

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to have to tell you." My vision starts to go blurry - oh gosh, please don't tell me I'm going to cry over this, because I refuse to cry over a stupid boy who I knew things would never work out with especially when the info is coming from a not great source - as Jared approaches me. I swear that I've gone numb as I stand there, frozen by the news. "But, to be fair, you were going to find out at one point or another anyways. He couldn't hide it from you forever. It's better that you hear it now rather than later."

"No!" I shake my head furiously, disagreeing and trying to shake away my tears. I refuse to be so upset by this information. "I don't want to believe you. I can't believe you. You don't care about me. Leave me alone!"

"Please, I'm trying to help you." He pulls me into a hug that I do not appreciate at all, which I quickly try to get out of. He, however, has an incredibly strong hug, so my attempts to escape do not work.

Since escaping doesn't work, I'm reduced to a sobbing mess as I protest and weakly try to smack his arms. "Let me go. You aren't helping me! Leave me alone!"

After a moment, he concedes, and does as I demand. If only all the Royals would do that, then life would be so much easier. "I'm so sorry, Mina, it's just-"

"Go away." I hiss the words at him, taking a step back before adopting a somewhat defensive stance.

"You're going to regret rejecting me." His eyes suddenly have a very dangerous glint to them, on that's kind of terrifying to me. I've only seen it once before, which is whenever Teague and I first met.

"Did you mishear me?" I sound so much more confident than I really am. "I told you to go away." Then, spurred by who knows what, I step forward again and shove him away from me. I can feel his magical presence practically burn through the air, matching the anger written all over his face.

In fact, he's visibly shaking. Whether that's from the magic, the anger, or both, I'm not sure. At this point, I don't think that should really concern me. What should concern me is how I'm going to pay for that. If I could somehow get out of trouble before when arguing about whether or not Teague and I were secretly dating - because I'm sure I could - doesn't matter anymore. Now I tried to hurt a Royal, and if it's Jared's word versus mine, I'm dead. They'll never believe a Grimm - who most definitely has a vendetta against the Royals - versus the Perfect Prince himself.

"I'll tell my parents about you and Teague. You guys won't be able to stay together anymore, whether he was intending to break up or stay with you. And if they don't believe me, even though I know they will, I will tell them that when I confronted you about it you attacked me." I can actually feel my own magical presence shrinking back as his seems to continue to strengthen. "In fact, maybe I will either way, just to ensure that you are punished severely for this."

"Get out!" Now I'm screaming at him, deciding that I have nothing left to lose. I've already ruined my chance with Teague, if he isn't getting married, so I might as well just go full out.

I hate this stupid prince so much.

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over, Grimm." He spits the words with a venom I can't say I've heard before, but then he takes a deep breath. His magical presence drops back to what it was before, and the breathe causes him to quickly become rather eerily calm. In fact, the whole atmosphere seems to grow colder - although not really - as I grow more and more frightened of this prince. "I'm sorry this conversation went the way it did. I intended for this to go so much better, and way differently." I bet he did, seeing as he pretty much told me that the entire time we spoke, even if he didn't say it out right. Then, he mutters - seemingly to himself - a rather suspicious statement that I doubt I will be able to get out of my head till I know what it means. "Don't worry, I'll fix this."

Then, after giving me another smile - which I refuse to return and just disconcerts me even more - he walks off into the woods. Once I give him a few minutes to make sure that he is gone, I sink down to the ground against my log in the clearing, curling up into a ball. What have I gotten myself into? What did I just do?

 **So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Was it good? Bad? What do you guys think of Jared now? Do you think Mina should've given him a shot? How much do you think Mina believes some of the stuff he said? Do you think Jared will follow through with his threat? What might it result in? What will it mean for Mina and Teague? Do you think Teague will protest it? Will Mina? Will someone else? What do you guys think is going to happen next chapter?**

 **Once again, I'm sorry I took so long to get this update written so that Evx could post it for you guys. :c Hopefully you all liked it! Next chapter is going to be Evx's. Yay! :D I'm super excited to see how she's going to write what's going to happen next! However, for now, we'll just have to make you guys sit tight and wait for what happens next.** **And I'll be plotting in the corner as I try to decide on how to get revenge on Evx in my other stories (don't worry, I already have plans (Evx: I'm in so much trouble now. I have to go buy another box of tissues now.)) Till next time!**

 ***glances back* Uh oh, something worse than responsibility is coming. The obligation to update all the rest of my stories! Run! *runs away***

 **~ Dagger**


	7. Chapter 7

***Quietly peeks head through doors* maybe if I sneak in they won't- *arrows and spears fly at me***

 ***runs around frantically* I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I really meant to update. I mean it. Please spare my life.**

 **Dagger: Okay guys let's hold up for a bit. I'm sure Evx had a good reason for taking a while to update.**

 **I do I do *hides behind Dagger***

 **Dagger: How about we let her write the chapter first and then we'll deal with her.**

 **Not you too Dagger. *cries internally* I'll just let you answer your reviews Dagger while I go prepare my coffin.**

 **Beetle : Haha, that's how Evx and I feel as well. cx Just wait till you see what happens in this chapter!**

 **life as a demigod : Aw, thank you! And yes, that could go badly. We will just have to see how it all goes. c;**

 **Onward now with the story. Why prolong the inevitable?**

 **Mina's Pov**

Come on Teague. I need you to hurry up.

I pace back and forth waiting for Teague. My encounter with prince Jared is still in my mind, scaring the life out of me.

What will he do? Will he really tell his parents about Teague and I? What will be my punishment for yelling and pushing him? Is Teague really getting married?!

I hear a sound from the bushes and jump back in fear.

"Wh-who's there?" I ask, cursing my stuttering.

Teague steps out and I sigh in relief.

"It's just me Mina. What's wrong? Why do you seem so scared?" Teague asks with worry in his voice.

"Is it true? Is it true that you're going to marry that gnome princess?" I ask straightforward.

"Mina where did you hear that from? Of course I'm not going to marry her." Teague answers, walking closer to me.

"But is there an arrange marriage between you two?" I continue.

"My mother wants me to marry her for peace sakes since I tried to kill her a while ago, but I made it very clear to my mother that I will not marry that creature. Mina why are you asking me this? How did you know about that?" Teague replies with worry and confusion mixing in his voice.

I let go of the breath that I didn't realize I was holding in. So he was lying. I knew Teague wouldn't marry her.

"Mina, how did you know about that?" Teague asks once again, this time more serious.

I shudder and take a deep breath.

"Your brother came here a few minutes ago. He was flirting with me and I kept rejecting him. He told me that he knew we were dating. When I told him that I don't like him he told me you would leave me too. He said you're probably just dating me to rebel against your parents. He said you had an arranged marriage with that princess." I say, staring at the ground.

I feel the air become filled with magic once more and I find it hard to breathe. I look up to see Teague with his fists clenched and an angry look in his eye. His magic is definitely stronger than his brother's, and more frightening.

Is this what Prince Jared meant by calling him the dark prince?

"Mina, what else did he say and do to you?" Teague asks in a calm tone. His magic tells me though that he is far from calm.

"He complimented me a lot. He told me that I should give him a chance and he was better than you. When I said no and that people don't give you a chance, he laughed at me. He told me you are the dark prince for a reason and that I don't really know you well. When he told me about the marriage I shouted at him that he was lying. He pulled me into a hug and wouldn't let go so I ended up crying. I demanded he let me go and eventually he did. I hissed at him to leave but he kept trying. So I ended up pushing him away from me. He had this really angry look and he was shaking. I could feel his magical presence and it seemed to grow. He told me that I would regret rejecting him and that he would tell your parents. He said I would be severely punished so I screamed at him to leave. He told me the conversation wasn't over and then said he would fix this, then he left." I tell Teague, at some point the retelling turning into rambling.

Teague stares at me with a straight face. If he's angry right now, I can't see it.

As soon as it appeared, his threatening magical presence disappeared, leaving his normal magical feeling I am used to. His face softens and he hugs me.

"I'm so sorry Mina you had to deal with him. I promise you that I will never leave you. What he said was just to scare you and make you go running to him. He's not used to being told no. He is the 'perfect prince" after all. He gets whatever he wants when he wants it." Teague says.

I hug Teague back enjoying the soothing magic feeling he is giving off.

"Well I'm one thing he can't have. I'm yours." I reply.

We let go of each other and he gives me a smile.

"I'll go deal with my brother. You just worry about yourself okay. I'm not going anywhere even if you tried to get rid of me. And I do believe you've tried." He says with a joking smile.

"I have tried plenty of times. You never listened." I say with a chuckle, remembering the times when Teague used to order me to see him despite me telling him to go away.

Teague gives me a short kiss and I feel all my fear disappear.

"So how about we find a new place to meet at since my pesky little brother knows about this place?" Teague suggests.

"That's a good idea. But we have to move my things too. Even if you think they are tacky." I say.

"Of course. I grew to like your tacky things." He replies.

I laugh. Maybe things won't be so bad after all.

 **Time skip- middle of the night- still Mina's pov**

"Wake up sweetheart."

I wake up to my mother's voice.

"What's wrong mom? It's still dark outside." I say rubbing my eyes.

"We were summoned to the palace. All three of us." My mother says, worry full in her voice.

I'm wide awake now. We were summoned. Oh gosh Jared really is going to punish me. Is he going to punish my family too?

I change out of my night clothes and try to calm myself down. I can't though. I'm just panicking.

Mom, Charlie, and I head over to the palace, the entire way there each of us worrying.

When we get there, we are escorted inside to the throne room. As expected Prince Jared stands there with a smug look, next to his mother glares at me. But for some reason Teague isn't here.

Charlie taps me and signs to me, asking why Teague isn't here. Mom raises her eyebrow in confusion but I disregard it.

"I don't know Charlie but this isn't good." I reply.

"The Grimm family, how nice of you to come so soon." The king says.

Not like we had a choice. I bite my tongue from making any smart comments. I'm in enough trouble already.

"You wanted to see us your highnesses?" Mom asks.

"Wilhelmina Grimm, step forward." The queen says.

I step forward but I refuse to bow.

"A bold one is right. Wilhelmina Grimm you are in a lot of trouble, do you know that?" The king says. He sounds calm yet I know that only means bad news for me.

"May I ask what she did wrong?" Mom asks.

"You were not told to speak. However this girl has done plenty wrong. She yelled and assaulted a royal today. She is also courting the royal heir secretly. Everyone knows a lowly Grimm should not be associated with a royal let alone courting one." The queen says.

Mom looks at me in surprise.

"You're dating the dark prince?" She asks, her face draining of color.

Charlie signs to her rapidly about Teague and my relationship.

"You met him too?" She asks Charlie.

Charlie signs to her that Teague is a really nice person and he really cares about me. My little brother is the best.

"So what's this about assaulting a royal?" Mom asks.

"Well today Prince Jared came to me and started flirting with me. He didn't take no for an answer. When he hugged me and wouldn't let go I tried to push him away. I told him to leave and he got all mad because I rejected him." I answer, resisting the urge to glare at him.

"You hurt me Grimm. Do you honestly think anyone would believe that I was flirting with a Grimm? My brother may fall fall your deceitful ways but I sure wouldn't. If I didn't know that a mere Grimm couldn't keep a spell on a royal for long, I would have thought that you were making my dear brother love you. But it seems he is just that foolish." Prince Jared says.

How dare he just deny everything like that?

"I am not deceitful. I'm being honest. And Prince Teague is not foolish. There is no rule saying that the prince cannot love me and I him. Besides even if there was, he's the dark prince isn't he. When have rules ever applied to him?" I respond, giving him a glare this time.

His facial expression darkens and he loses the smug look on his face.

"You and him are fools for ever thinking you could have a relationship together. What, did you think he would marry you one day? Did you think he would save you from your curse? Pathetic. It would have never happened. You are a Grimm and he is a prince, even if everyone wishes he wasn't. I told you I would punish you for what you did and I meant it." Prince Jared says, venom lacing his every word.

"Wilhelmina Grimm you are hereby banished to the human plane for eternity." The queen says to me.

I feel the air escape from my lungs.

Banished?

"NO! PLEASE! NOT MY LITTLE GIRL TOO!" Mom shouts crying.

I drop to my knees just staring at the floor. Banished.

Charlie runs and hugs me tightly. He cries shaking his head no. Mom joins him in the hug.

Banished. I'm banished. To the human plane.

Forever. Just like my father.

I'll never see my mom again. I'll never see Charlie again. I'll never see Teague again.

Teague.

Teague doesn't know. He's not here because they know he wouldn't let this happen.

"TEAGUE! TEAGUE! TEAGUE!" I shout.

He has to hear me. I have to say goodbye at least.

Two guards pull Mom and Charlie away from me. Another covers my mouth.

I am held down and that's when it really hits me. I'm banished forever.

I start to scream into the hand as I cry. I kick and scratch, trying to fight against the guard.

Prince Jared takes out a little tube thing. I've seen it before. A seam ripper.

He uses it and makes a gate to the human plane.

I cry harder and fuss as I am dragged to the gate. I see Mom and Charlie try to come to me, also fighting against the guards as they cry.

Prince Jared bends down to my level and grabs my face.

"I told you you would regret rejecting me." He whispers in my ear.

He kisses my cheek and then stares into my crying eyes. He smirks at my tears.

"Goodbye Mina." He says then pushes me through the gate.

All I see is his smug face before everything fades away and goes black.

 **There we go. My final chapter before my death.**

 ***you guys ready your pitchforks, arrows, and spears***

 **I'll accept my doom. Just remember guys I still haven't finished my stories. Do as you wish but never forget that.**

 **Dagger I leave the next chapter to you. Remember me when I am gone.**

 **(Please don't kill me you guys. I'll try not to take so long next time. I promise. *cries guilty tears*)**


	8. Chapter 8

**And now I suddenly know how Evx feels. Sorry for my equally as bad disappearance and lack of updates for this story, guys! :c However, I'm back now, and hopefully Evx will hold back on torturing me till after you guys get to read this next chapter! Here is her response to your reviews. c;**

 **Guest: Dude… I know right.**

 **5 is my lucky number: Not weird at all dear *smiles* (whispers to dagger: we have another Jared fan who needs to be "watched")**

 **Beetle: Maybe Dagger and I can catch the Wild Beetle after this epic battle. Thanks glad you liked it.**

And now, I present you with the next chapter. (please don't let Evx kill me ;-; please)

There's an echo in my head, causing me to jolt up into a sitting position on my bed. Teague! I flinch at the sharp cry, looking around in my room. There's no one here with me, but I can hear it plain as day. Teague! If anything the cries sound even more panicked. Someone's calling for me, unless I'm imagining it, but who? Teague! And then it suddenly stops, completely cut off. Who in their right mind would be calling out to me, the Dark Prince, for what sounds like help?

The answer is like a punch to the gut. In a blind rage, I leap up from my bed and move to whip the door open, but it wont budge. Did they really think keeping the door closed like this would do any good? The thought makes me even angrier. How weak do they think I am? I'm not Jared. I try to just teleport myself out, but that doesn't work either. What the heck is going on?

What have they done to Mina? I know it was her voice calling out to me now that I am fully awake. What have they done?

I force myself to settle, to channel the anger into a direct source. Carefully I push the magic warding the door away, forcing it out with everything I have till it is completely clear. I don't know how long it takes me. All I know is that the door finally swings open, and in releasing me it releases a wave of fury. I stalk the hallways, which seem suspiciously clear, till I find the throne room. There's no sign of anything out of place. My mother reads on her throne while my father listens to whatever Jared has to say. I throw the doors shut behind me, finally gathering everyone's attention.

"What have you done?" I'm not sure who I'm spitting the words at now, maybe all of them. "Where is she?"

My mother looks up from her book calmly, much more calmly than the last time I entered. Doesn't she know how close I came to murdering her here the last time? Doesn't she realize that I could snap her neck right here and now if I so choose? That option is looking better and better with every second.

Seeming to not notice by the magic I can feel swelling around me, Maeve calmly states, "We have put the Grimm in her place, Teague. You are a prince. It is time you start acting like it. And as a Prince, you have no reason to spend your time gallivanting about with someone like her. She had to be punished."

I glare at her, ready to ring her neck. "Have you forgotten who you're dealing with, Maeve?"

Her eyes narrow in challenge, and for the first time in my life I can actually sense my mother's magical presence. "Have you forgotten who you're dealing with, son?"

"What did you do to Mina?" I snarl, not in the mood for my mother's word games.

"She has been handled, brother." Jared says, seeming bored of this whole conversation already.

"If you had the Grimm killed, I swear that I will end you." My hands curl into fists at my sides with my threat, ready to strangle the whole lot of them.

Jared chuckles. "Killed her? Why on earth would we do that?"

I relax ever so slightly. "How would imprisoning her here do anything to stop me?" So long as she is alive, I can right this mess. If only I'd been faster!

"Now now, I didn't say that." My gray eyed brother leans forward with a shark-like grin, looking quite pleased with himself. "Remember her father?"

That stops me in my tracks. "You did what?"

Pleased that I've caught on, my younger brother leans back in his chair, grin widening. "A fate worse than death, Teague. She has been banished to the human plane for the rest of her existence."

I should murder him right now in front of our parents to make an example of him. "I will bring her back." I'm not quite sure if it's a threat or a promise.

This seems to make Jared even more pleased. "Oh, please do."

"If you travel to the human plane, Teague, we will be forced to take it that you are forfeiting your right as heir to the throne and will have to pass it on to your brother, even if you were to return." And so my father actually bothers to speak.

"You can't keep her from me." I snarl, about ready to snap. That stupid rule! "I'm going to get her back, and you won't be happy when I do."

And on that note, I teleport myself into the woods nearby. It's only when I am safely out of view that I release my anger, setting several nearby trees ablaze. I keep it contained, not letting it spread past the ones currently alight so as to leave more for me to burn later. Who do they think they are? There was no panic in their eyes. They were pleased with themselves, having been able to force me into a corner.

Well, that's their mistake. I still hold the ace, because I am certainly not stuck in a corner. I just have to find a way to contact her brother, Charlie. I doubt her mother will want anything to do with me. She has to know what happened and so will blame me for what has happened to her daughter because I couldn't protect her, and even if she doesn't know, I doubt she'll want anything to do with a Royal. We cursed her family. I suppose I can't really blame her, just as I couldn't blame Mina.

Taking a deep breath, I reach out with my mind to try and gain a sense of where Charlie is. I barely used any magic, so this a very simple task. It only gets tiring when someone is drained, and I am anything but. Slowly but surely, a picture puzzles itself together in my mind. The boy is sitting in his room, shredding a picture. It looks like something he might have drawn. While I can't examine it very well within my mind's eye, what I can see of it makes me think it's a picture he drew of Mina, him, and me.

Maybe visiting the boy isn't as good of an idea as I think.

Still, it's all I've currently got to go on. I have to at least try it. While I can't get Charlie to do anything for me to help get her back, not that I would want to send the innocent boy head on into the unknown and potential danger, I can see if he can tell me any of Mina's friends. She always made it sound like she didn't have any, but there have to be a few Fae willing to associate with a Grimm, right? And if there are, he can tell me, and then I can convince them to get Mina back for me, no matter what it takes.

Determined now, I decide that there's no time to waste. With a snap of my fingers, I find myself in Charlie's room right as the mute boy finishes ripping up the picture. He looks up from his work with watery eyes, and musters up a large scowl that he quickly presents me with.

"Charlie," I say slowly, trying to come across in the most comforting way I can. Comforting has never been my strong suit. The Dark Prince is more known for making people need comforting, "I'm very sorry for what happened to Mina."

He rapidly signs at me, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he is saying. Through the tears that are beginning to run down his eyes, I can tell that he is blaming me for what has happened to his sister. He probably has every right to, especially without knowing that this is really all Jared's doing, but he is the only one who I would allow to even suggest that I was to blame.

"I want to fix this." I whisper. "I want to bring her back. I want us to have fun again, like we used to." The boy folds his arms, seeming very skeptical. "Charlie, if we're going to bring Mina back, I need your help. I can't do it by myself. I'm not allowed to cross the planes." There's no need to explain all the politics of the matter to him.

He pauses, seeming to consider his words. Then with questions bright in his eyes, he points to himself, looking confused. To be honest, he also looks kind of concerned, and I think I can guess why.

Unsure whether to be concerned that he thinks I would suggest sending him or amused, I shake my head. "No, I'm not sending you there. Your mother would never forgive me. Your sister would never forgive me. I would never forgive me. No, what I need is for you to write down the names of anybody who was friends with Mina. Anybody who might be willing to help me find her and manage to bring her back to me."

Charlie gestures helplessly, and my heart sinks in my chest. It's obvious what he is saying. There is no one out there that can do such a thing for me. I'll have to find someone myself. However, even as I turn to leave, I feel a tug on my shirt and find a frustrated little brother glaring back up at me.

"What?" I ask, growing frustrated as he gestures helplessly again. Normally I understand him fairly well, but without Mina to interpret some of the signing we both seem to be at a loss for communication. "What is it? Charlie, I don't understand you!" I take a deep breath, regaining my control.

It seems that he also is reigning in his anger, as he takes a deep breath and mimes writing on his palm. This must be humiliating for him. After everything is fixed, I will have to study signing more in depth to avoid this issue. Important matters like this shouldn't be impeded by a barrier like this.

Still confused and feeling helpless, I begin to ask him questions. "What is it? You don't know how to write?" From the indignant look he gives me, you would think I suggested that he doesn't know what two plus two is. "You don't know her name?" Again he shakes his head, miming writing even more rapidly. "Um, you aren't able to write?" He shakes his head eagerly, but I frown. "I already asked if you didn't know how!" He shakes his head, eyebrows furrowing, and then I catch on. "Oh. Oh! You aren't able to because you're missing something. What are you missing? Paper? Something to write with?"

He bobs his head, looking pleased that I have finally understood. That must have been quite frustrating for him, more so than it was for me. What must it be like, to hear everyone and know what you want to say but be unable to express it as clearly? How often does he have to do stuff like that? Perhaps not very much, since not many Fae will interact with Grimms and his family sees very good at understanding him. But is it infuriating to be unable to speak like everyone else? I wish I could fix it for him, but I suppose even my power is limited in that sense. I can't fix him.

"Do you need both?" I ask, deciding to ignore that bunny trail, and Charlie nods. Now understanding, I wave my hand towards his bed, where a piece of paper and a pen appear. "There."

He rushes over, and begins to scribble something down. After a moment, he frowns down at it, looking dissatisfied. He bites his lip, scribbles some more down, and then rushes the paper over to me. I look at it, and after a moment my eyes adjust to the childish scrawls in order to make out the words he has written.

"'Nix and Ever are good. They can help. But Ferah will help most.'" I read the words aloud, glancing back at the pleased boy before me. "Ferah? Where does she live?" The boy tugs the paper out of my hand and draws a tree with a door in it. That's odd. Most Fae choose to live in some sort of house-like structure. "A tree? Where is it?" Again he tugs it away, this time doodling a small heart with the name 'Mina' scrawled inside in sloppy handwriting, made even sloppier without a base underneath it. "Okay, somewhere near Mina." He shakes his head, which is slightly frustrating. "Somewhere near Mina's...stuff?" I ask, not sure where else it could be. Thankfully, he bobs his head eagerly. "Okay, so it's somewhere near her stuff. Somewhere near the place I used to meet her?"

That gets the most eager nod that I have ever seen. I'm almost concerned that he'll make his head fall off in the process. Carefully he tugs the paper back, scrawling one more thing on it. 'Show Ferah that I tell her it's good to help you. From, Charlie.'

 **There we have it! What do you think of poor Teague's dilemma? Do you think Mina will be okay on the human plane? We should be seeing some of that very soon. Did you think Charlie would be able to offer him any help? How about Ferah being the one he suggests? Do you think she'll help him, since she's apparently Mina's friend? Do you think Jared will try to do anything to stop this? What is Teague going to do while he waits? Let us know in a review!**

 **And now I must bid adieu and run off before Evx kills me for doing stuff in another fandom but not doing anything in An Unfortunate Fairytale. D: Avenge me, everyone!**

 **~ Dagger**


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